1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates the configuration of devices in a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is becoming commonplace for devices, including but not limited to RFID readers, RFID printers, VoIP telephones and devices used in manufacturing, to be deployed in large numbers within some networks. These devices often have unique characteristics, such as traffic type, bandwidth requirements, security demands, etc. Accordingly, such devices require specific network configurations, e.g., quality of service (“QoS”), security settings, VLANs or VSANs, etc. to properly support their desired functionality.
FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a network 100, in which network device 105 (in this example, a Catalyst™ switch provided by Cisco Systems, Inc.) is connected to a plurality of devices, including RFID reader 110. In this example, RFID reader 110 is connected to port 120 via a fast Ethernet connection. For each port of network device 105, a variety of attributes may be configured, such as QoS, security, port speed, description, etc.
Within network 100, a large number of devices and associated network devices may be deployed. In general, it is a tedious and time-consuming process for users to deploy devices and to manage the associated infrastructure components, such as switches and other network devices. For example, the process of configuring switch port settings is currently a manual process, in which each desired attribute must be individually selected and enabled for a port.
This manual configuration process is currently inhibiting the deployment of large-scale RFID networks, manufacturing device networks, etc. It would be desirable to provide improved methods and devices that overcome at least some limitations of the prior art.